Go Love.

Love.

It is the distinguishing mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35

Your ministry to others should be marked by it.  If it is not there, your ministry (can it be called a ministry, devoid of love?) is worthless. You may excel in your speaking, preaching, giving, faith and ultimately in your death (martyrdom) and in God’s eyes, without love it is all for nothing. Worthless.

L O V E  is the more excellent way, spoken of in 1 Cor. 13.

When the Pharisees, famous for their law keeping, asked Jesus to tell them which of the  613 commandments was the greatest,  he narrowed it down for them: Love the Lord with all your being…, and did you want to know the second greatest? (because I know that you really want to know how to keep these laws in the correct order, you Pharisees.) Love your neighbor as yourself.

It is sad that the church is not know by its love. We  are  known for many things. It could be by our stand on this activity or that  standard. It could even be for our vocal stand against abortion or promiscuous, sexual lifestyles…but where is the outrage when Christians don’t pursue God and love one another? When they fail to edify each other in love? If Jesus taught that this was primary, shouldn’t it stand to reason that we should also think it a big deal when other Christians lack love?

What is the Greatest Transgression? 

This is the question that Martin Luther asked himself.

“Luther examined the Great Commandment, ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27). Then he asked himself, “What  is the Great Transgression?” Some answer this  question by saying that the great sin is murder, adultery, blasphemy, or unbelief. Luther disagreed. He concluded that if the Great Commandment was to love God with all your heart, then the Great Transgression was to fail to love God with all the heart.” – R.C. Sproul,  The Holiness of God

{And I might add, that the second great transgression is a failure to love others.}

Are you characterized by your love for God and others? How about your service for Christ? Would people describe you as loving, or are you one of those people who picks and chooses who will receive your love today, and who won’t. Are there those who get your smiles and friendship, and others, your cold shoulder and snide remarks?

Are you a safe haven for others, or are you needlessly offensive to other women in ministry? Check your love.

Do your relationships look like 1 Cor. 13?  Are you characterized by kindness and thinking the best of others? Or are you characterized by impatience, envy , irritableness or a resentful (sour, bitter) disposition. Of does it just depend on the day?  Even in ministry, we can be selfish. We can do things without love, for our own benefit. And in the end people react to your ministry the same way that I use to  react when my toddlers used to clang my pot lids like cymbals. Yuck.

So, what’s it like in your house today? Your workplace? Your church? 

Is the spiritual climate a loving one,  or are you all crazy, caught up in problems  and irritable? Stop, regroup, re-calibrate your life with scripture, and go love.